MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Russian pharmaceutical companies can technically produce two thirds of the medicines from the list of strategically important drugs and 50% from the list of vital and essential ones, according to the forecasts of the Industry and Trade Ministry. TASS found out what difficulties domestic pharmacists are facing and where they see opportunities for growth.

By the end of 2021, the volume of the Russian pharmaceutical market in monetary terms amounted to 1.98 trillion rubles ($25.5 bln), 5.2 billion drug packages were sold in the country. The share of domestic drugs was 61%.

The list of vital drugs includes 809 medicines. According to the estimates of the Industry and Trade Ministry, it is possible to fully or partially localize production for 655 items (81%), however, it is possible to organize a full production cycle in Russia, including the synthesis of a pharmaceutical substance, only for 50% of the drugs from the list.

Some problematic positions, such as L-thyroxine for the treatment of thyroid diseases, the deficiency of which was previously reported, are already being replaced. The Novosibirsk-based company has already started to produce this drug.

"It is assumed that this production (up to 1 million packs per month) will cover the needs of all domestic pharmacies," Vladimir Grechkin, executive director of the manufacturer, told TASS.

The Russian pharmaceutical industry has recently made significant progress in developing its own raw material and component base.

"In the past two years alone, several <...> sites for the production of pharmaceutical substances have been opened at once in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kurgan and Bratsk," the Ministry of Industry and Trade recalled.

The Moscow Endocrine Plant alone plans to produce over 30 active substances that have been imported to date. The Promomed Group of companies is launching the largest production in the country - 150 items. Another major manufacturer, Binnopharm group, makes up to 20% of manufactured drugs from its own substances.

"We are constantly working to increase the full-cycle production of drugs, develop and register new pharmaceutical substances and put them into production," Rustem Muratov, CEO of the company, told TASS.

However, last year Russia produced only 6% of substances (in kilograms) for strategically important drugs and 8% for vital and essential ones, said Alexander Semyonov, president of Active Component, the country's largest producer of pharmaceutical substances. Recently, their share has remained virtually unchanged, but the current difficulties, which have made deliveries from abroad "extremely problematic," encourage Russian pharmacists to buy domestic raw materials, he said.

At the same time, full localization of production is impossible - all over the world, including the United States and European countries, the share of imported substances is estimated at 80%, the Industry and Trade Ministry notes. The way out is to buy substances from friendly suppliers such as India and China.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that although foreign pharmaceutical companies do not refuse to supply drugs to Russia, difficulties may arise for political and logistical reasons.